I’ve recently taken a big step back with my photography game and tried my best to improve it as much as I can. I’m not all of a sudden queen of the flatlay but I have improved in a way that you can too. And that’s by focusing more on my blog props. It’s only recently that I’ve come to terms with how different props and positioning can affect the overall look of my photos. It’s not something a lot of us pay much attention to but by giving it a little more thought, we can all improve our photography game!

So to pass on as much info and inspiration I can, I’ve gathered mostly everything I know about blog props and singled them to each letter of the alphabet. (It was harder than it seems) If only 2015 me had read this post before setting out a flatlay.

A – Artificial flowers. These are perfect for photos and so inexpensive. I’ve gathered quite a collection of them from craft stores and various different homeware stores.

B- Books. You may have noticed how much I love using books in my photos, particularly Capture Your Style by Aimee Song, but mostly any book will look great!

C- Coloured Card. Card is perfect for adding some colour in to your photos or you can keep it simple with white for bright shots. I love the way the pink card looked in these photos!

D- DIY. Another way to jazz up your photos is by brining out your inner DIY skills and making something yourself. Marble trays using old photo frames are so inexpensive to make yet look amazing in photos.

E- Empty Space. One of the best ways to fill an empty space in your photos is by using a blanket or a throw or any material that fits well with your photos. I’ve used dresses, scarves and bed sheets before, whatever works best!

F- Faux Fur. White faux fur rugs make a dreamy blog prop or even background to your photos. Similarly does any fluffy item of clothing or pillow. Primark has a gorgeous peachy one in right now that I can’t wait to pick up!

G- Greenery. Greenery is another perfect way to give your photos a bit of colour. You can source it from pretty much anywhere as well, including your garden.

H- Homeware.H&M is one of my favourite stores for little homeware pieces for my photos. I’ve picked up quite a few little trays and copper baskets from them for inexpensive prices. However you don’t need to buy photo props, you can find so many pieces just around the house.

I- IKEA. IKEA is a great place for discovering affordable props. I’m not in there very often but when I am, there’s always lots of plants and pots that are blog prop worthy.

J- Jewellery. I always love adding little bits of jewellery to my photos, most of them always have a few rings scattered here and there. You can pick packs up from Primark for as little as £1 if you don’t have any lying around.

K- Keeping It Minimalistic. There will be days when I’m not feeling the coloured card and pink ribbon and will decide to go for the more elegant minimalistic look. This usually includes black and white coloured products and occasionally some greenery.

L – Layer Things Up. Another way to improve your use of blog props is by layering them up. I’ll often place things on books or use trays and trinkets to hold up products.

M – Marble. Marble anything is a blogger’s best friend. I always gravitate towards anything marble for my photos. As a background for my photos I usually use a marble film that I picked up from Amazon for around £5.

N – Notebooks/Magazines. These also make a great background or props to your photos. If you are an avid notebook collector like me then I’m sure you’ll have plenty to choose from when picking one for your shots.

O – Overcrowded. Occasionally you need to be careful not to overcrowd your photos too much that you take away from the main focus of the flatlay. I’m guilty of doing in this in some of my early posts but it’s something that can be easily fixed.

Q – Quirky. Q was a very tricky letter to come up with something for but I’ve figured that finding something quirky to use in your photos is often a good way of being unique amongst the world of flatlays.

R- Ribbon. I’ve gathered quite a big collection of different coloured ribbon. It isn’t just for christmas time and makes a pretty picture for blog photos.

S – Creating S Curves. I recently learned that creating S curves with your blog props and your body in fashion posts creates a more feminine look to your photo. It’s not something I’ve looked much in to but might be worth thinking of when you set up your next flatlay.

T- Trinket Dishes and Trays. These are my favourite things to use when I’m dressing a flatly. I’m currently loving my gold ‘hello’ one from next. Oliver Bonas is also the place of trinket tray dreams!

U – Using The Right Angle. The 3 main angles I usually switch between are Birds Eye, 45 degree and straight on. Choosing the right angle plays a big part in the overall look of your photos so it’s often worth playing about with.

V – Variation. Another way to keep your blog photos new and exciting is by switching up your props and keeping variation.

W- Wallpaper. Home DIY stores will also become your best friend when perfecting the flatlay for their array of wallpaper samples. If you don’t have the perfect backdrop then a wallpaper sample or even wrapping paper can make the best background.

X- X is such a tricky letter to come up with something for so I’m going with X-tra creative. (if that counts) I always try to be creative with my photos and make the most of things I can find lying around.

Y- You. I’m not suggesting that you lie amongst your perfectly placed flatlay, but placing your hand in your shot to create some real-life action is one way of adding a little something extra to your photos.

Z- Z, yet again is a very tricky word to come up with something for so I’ll use it to sign of this post.

I hope this has helped inspire you in one way or another. Also, please let me and

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others know in the comments if you have any other blog props or tips that you have.

10 Replies to “The A-Z of Everything Blog Props”

ah this is such a fab post, there’s things on here that I’ve never even thought about. definitely need to get my hands on some custard creams and sprinkles now too, your photographs look stunning!
jen, velvet spring x

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about zara McIntosh

Hello, and welcome to my little corner of the internet. I am Zara McIntosh and over here you\'ll find a little bit of everything, but mostly Beauty, Lifestyle, and a few cupcakes here and there! Enjoy reading.
Zara x